The History

1900 – The Eckhart family founded the Auburn Automobile Company. It was incorporated in 1903.1903 – The Auburn Automobile Company produced its first automobile for sale to the public.1912 – The Auburn Automobile Company produced its first closed automobile.1913 – The Duesenberg Brothers entered their first Indy 500 with a Mason racecar.1915 – Charles Eckhart died. Frank and Morris took over ownership and administration of the Auburn Automobile Company.1917 – The Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, operated by Fred and August Duesenberg in Elizabeth, New Jersey, built aircraft engines for the U.S. Government.

1919 – The Auburn Automobile Company was sold to a group of Chicago investors, including William Wrigley, Jr. The new ownership group oversees the manufacture of a new model called the Beauty-Six, which was designed by the Eckhart family prior to selling the company.1921 – Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company debuted its first passenger car, the Duesenberg Model A.

1924 – E. L. Cord was hired as Vice President and General Manager of the Auburn Automobile Company by the Chicago ownership group.1926 – E. L. Cord became President of the Auburn Automobile Company and owned controlling stock interest. He also purchased Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company of Indianapolis and renamed it Duesenberg, Inc.1927 – The Duesenberg racing team won its third Indy 500 of the 1920s.1927 – A transitional model for the Duesenberg marque was created by Fred Duesenberg and Duesenberg, Inc. The Duesenberg Model X was introduced at the New York Auto Show.1927 – E. L. Cord purchased a production facility in Connersville, Indiana, in order to expand the manufacturing capability of the Auburn Automobile Company.

1928 – The Duesenberg Model J and Auburn Speedster were created and debuted. Gordon Buehrig became the stylist for Duesenberg, Inc. at twenty-five years old.1929 – E. L. Cord founded the Cord Corporation, a holding company based in Chicago of which the Auburn Automobile Company and Duesenberg, Inc. became subsidiaries.

1929 – The first Cord automobile was produced by the Auburn Automobile Company. This automobile, the Cord L-29, was the first ever successful mass-production front-wheel drive automobile in America.

1930 – The Auburn Automobile Company administration building, designed by Alvin M. Strauss, was completed and opened. The approximate cost to build was $450,000.1931 – The Auburn Automobile Company had its best sales year, selling 34,000 cars. By this time, the Auburn Automobile Company had over 100 international dealers and distributors in 93 different countries around the world.1932 – The Auburn Automobile Company debuted a line of 12-Cylinder automobiles.1932 – Fred Duesenberg died from complications of pneumonia after an auto accident

1933 – All mass-production of automobiles manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company was moved to the Connersville, Indiana, production facility.1935 – Former Auburn Automobile Company designer Alan Leamy died from blood poisoning as a result of a medical injection.1935 – Auburn introduced a line of supercharged speedsters styled by Gordon Buehrig, with the supercharger work done by August Duesenberg.

1936 – The Auburn Automobile Company introduced the Buehrig-designed Cord 810.1936 – All Auburn and Duesenberg production ended.1937 – The Auburn Automobile Company offered an optional supercharger on the Cord 812.1937 – E. L. Cord sold his interests in the transportation industry and the Auburn Automobile Company filed for bankruptcy.

1938 – The Auburn Automobile Company administration building was sold to Dallas Winslow, who founded the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Company, selling new old stock parts to owners of Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles, in addition to repairing them.1960 – Dallas Winslow sold the rights to Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg to Glenn Pray of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, who continued to sell and repair Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobiles in Broken Arrow.1961 – The Dallas Winslow estate sold the Auburn Automobile Company administration building to the Marshall Clothing Company.

1967 – The Auburn Automobile Company administration building was put up for auction by Sam Jacobs, but did not sell.1973 – The north showroom of the Auburn Automobile Company administration building was leased as a motorcycle sales and repair shop. The south showroom was used by Essex Corporation to store cardboard boxes.1973 – A fire occurred at the Auburn Automobile Company administration building. Auburn Automotive Heritage Inc. was created.

1974 – The Auburn Automobile Company administration building was purchased by a group of citizens and Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg enthusiasts through Auburn Automotive Heritage Inc. from Sam Jacobs.